In Circles We Go: A Diverse YA Fantasy (Alium Book 1)

Sixteen-year-old Mia is lonely, but she’s never truly alone; Ophelia Cordelia Desdemona—the name Mia has given to the intrusive thoughts from her OCD—is always with her. Ophelia is her oldest companion, her fiercest critic and her most loyal protector. All Ophelia wants in return are a few harmless rituals: count, tap, worry.

Rinse, repeat.

Then the dreams started—vivid, otherworldly glimpses into another life, one that’s worry free. Mia takes reprieve in these nightly breaks from Ophelia until Aydem, the magnetic star of these dreams, materializes at her doorstep. He seeks Mia’s help to find Liv, the twin sister that Mia never knew existed, in Alium, a country not on any maps.

Teaming up with Aydem and Carra, Liv’s alluring best friend, Mia races against the clock to find Liv in the island nation under the watchful eye of an authoritarian regime, piecing together a life of forbidden magic and secrecy.

When she saves Aydem’s life after an explosion, Mia is thrust into the national spotlight. Her newfound fame invites scrutiny and she’s forced to masquerade as Liv to take part in the Altum Exam–the treacherous entrance exam to the school where young Aliuminians go to hone their powers.

While continuing to struggle against Ophelia’s hold over her, Mia must not only fight for her survival and the tenuous thread to her newfound family—but also grapple with her own identity, as she finds herself falling for both Aydem and Carra.

In Circles We Go takes readers on an extraordinary journey through a world brimming with magic and peril while offering the possibility of family and first love. Join Mia as she navigates a treacherous path, where secrets and forbidden powers await, and discover a captivating mystery that will leave readers spellbound.